Stair tread mat



15, 1936. E. w. WEILAND STAIR TREAD MAT Filed Feb. 24, 1936 mZsATTohNE' Patented Dec. "15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAIR TREAD MAT Edward W. Wciland, Rochester, N. Y. Application February 24, 1936, Serial No. 65,367

6 Claims. (Cl. 20-79) My present invention relates to floor coverings and more particularly to pads and mats such as are used on the treads and landings of staircases, and it has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and durable covering of this character supplied with improved means for securing the pad or mat in proper position, which means will be sightly, because completely concealed, and be protected from wear and damage and from contact with the feet of persons treading the stairway for the same reason. The improvements are further directed toward providing such an attaching means that will render the mat or covering easily detachable and replaceable so that in sweeping and cleaning it may be removed altogether, though having the appearance of a fixture when replaced.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragment of a stairway showing in use thereon pads or tread mats constructed in accordance with and illustrating one-embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view through a mat and one of the stair treads;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the mat detached;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view from the rear of the stair tread with the rear edge of the mat curled back to reveal the fastening, and

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a modification.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawing and. to the preferred form of the device illustrated therein, the mat is composed, as to its body portion l, of rather heavy flexible rubber sheeting of a size usually provided to cover the center portion of the tread 5 where the wear is heaviest and with the rear edge 2 spaced from the riser 3 of the succeeding step. The front edge is molded, vulcanized or otherwise formed or treated in accordance with modern practice in rubber manufacture to remain set in a permanent, half-round roll 4 that conforms to the front edge of the stair tread, hooks over it and remains in that close relationship, as indicated particularly in Fig. 2, without the necessity of tacks or other securing means, particularly if the rubber sheet is fairly heavy. If, on the other hand, the material is very light, tacks may be resorted to tomake the mat secure at'this point. I have found in practice, however, that with rubber sheeting of about three thirty seconds of an inch thickness a curled edge of suf- 5 ficient permanency can be formed to remain in place'hooked over the edge of the tread, as shown, even against the scufiiing force of a person's heavy tread in ascending the stairs, which would otherwise slide the mat toward the riser. This can be understood on reflection upon the length, curled laterally, along which the resisting force is distributed.

A short distance back from the rear edge 2 the under side of the mat at the center is fitted with a short and relatively thin tongue 6 having a key-hole l at its free end. The extremities of this free end is well back from the said edge 2, that is, far enough for the tongue to be completely concealed'when the mat is flat and in operative position. Such tongue is indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 to be integral with the mat body at its outward end but it may be cemented thereto, which results in practically the same thing, or securing as a separate piece through other means but preferably such as will not ex-' tend through the body and be exposed or visible on the upper surface, as one of my objects is to leave that surface unimpaired without visible means of attachment as though it were not secured at all.

In applying the mat to the stair tread, it is placed as in Figs. 1 and 2 with the forward roll 4 tight against the step edge, the rear edge 2 of the mat is then curled back, as in Fig. 4, revealing the tongue 6 in its normal and operative position, whereupon an ordinary carpet tack 8 or similar device is driven in at the end of the restricted portion of the key-hole slot. The head of the tack is brought down just to the upper 40 surface of the tongue to lightly engage it but not close enough to pinch it. The mat is now straightened out flat, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and becomes ready for use.

When it is desired to remove the mat, as in washing it or sweeping the stairway to remove dirt from beneath its edges and prevent the sweepings from lodging there during sweeping, it is merely necessary to disengage the rolled edge 4 through its pliability and slide the mat toward the riser sufliciently to bring the head of the tack into the enlarged portion of the key-hole slot 1 so that the mat can be lifted off. In re-applying it, this operation is reversed or the rolled edge 4 may be first engaged and use; it promotes a cleanliness that cannot be.

the stretch of the tongue 6 and the body I as a whole relied on to provide the slight relative movement required to engage the tack head in the slot of the tongue and draw the restricted end thereof along its shank into locking position.

In Fig. 2, the ridge in the body portion l in the neighborhood of the tip of the tongue is somewhat exaggerated for the sake of clearness but, in practice, this is of so gentle a curvature as to be unnoticeable.

I have found this single tongue at the rear and center to be quite sufiicient to hold the mat firmly in place against the feet of persons descending the stairs where the forward sliding tendencies are in fact really very slight, butv it is obvious that more than one fastener can be used and the tongues duplicated and placed near each rear corner.

In the modification of Fig. 5, a shorter tongue 6 is used, having fastened therein the arms of a metallic yoke or bent wire loop l of the same conformation and performing the same ultimate function as the key-hole slot 1 of theconstruction first described.

A mat constructed and. applied in accordance with my invention as above described will be found to be most effective and convenient in obtained with a permanently fastened or nondetachable mat and the added cost of the fastening means is negligible.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stair or like covering embodying a mat of flexible material having on its under side near an edge thereof but back from such edge a flap-like attaching tongue having its free end provided with means for interlocking in detachable engagement with a fastening member secured to the stair, the tongue and mat having av separable relationship permitting them to be drawn apart while still basically connected to facilitate, manipulation of the tongue.

2. An article in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by the fact that the engaging means on the tongue consists of a key-hole slot adapted to cooperate with, the raised head of a tack driven into the stair.

3. An article in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by the fact that the tongue is also of flexible material and has its base end joined to the mat by means wholly beneath the same and not extending to the upper wear surface.

4. An article in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by the fact that the strap is near the back edge of the mat and the front edge of the latter is provided with a yielding but otherwise permanent and self-sustaining curl adapted to engage the front edge of a stair tread.

5.. An article in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by the fact that the strap is near the back edge of the mat toward which its free end projects, such free end being provided with the key-hole slot, and the front edge of the mat is provided with a yielding but otherwise permanent and self-sustaining curl adapted toengage the front edge of a stair tread and hold the mat. against forward movement while the tack occupies the small end of the key-hole slot and counteracts rearward movement of the mat.

6. The combination with a stair unit embodying a tread and a riser at the rear thereof, the forward edge of the tread constituting a projecting portion,,of a mat or flexible material covering a substantial portion of the tread, a tongue on the under side of the mat secured thereto at its base and having a free end extending toward the riser and toward that edge of the mat but terminating short thereof so as to be completely concealed and overlaid by the mat when in. use, such free end of the tongue being provided with a key-hole slot, and a tack in the tread having a raised head detachably engaged by the strapv through the slot therein, the forward portion of the mat being formed with a yielding. but otherwise permanent andself-sustaining curl adapted to engage the front edge of the stair tread and hold the mat against forward movement while the tack occupies the small end of the key-hole slot and counteracts rearward movement of the mat.

EDWARD W. WEILAND. 

